![]() But in a highly planned and anticipated news event open to massive numbers of the public and the news media, the findings suggest that the social media activity – while still important in bringing people together and passing news and personal sentiments along – was not used to fill in pieces of the story. In these kinds of instances, journalists are to a large degree beholden to those on the scene to help tell the story. Past research by Pew Research reveals the critical role social media can play in informing the public about certain types of news events: Situations in which few individuals witness a controversial event, such as the police-involved shooting in Ferguson, Missouri the fog of civil uprising or war, in which journalists do not have access to the scene, such as during the Arab Spring natural disasters such as the 2013 tornado in Moore, Oklahoma and traumatic breaking news such as the shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, in 2012. ![]() These findings shed light on the dynamics of social media in our news environment. Instead, this was a large-scale news event with an abundance of on-site observers, including journalists who could both witness the event themselves and personally connect with others on the scene without needing to use social media as an intermediary. Overall, 12% of all 507 stories referenced a quote, fact or audiovisual from a social networking site. In all, 25% of stories contained at least one of these sources.Īnother element that stood out was that despite the sea of mobile phones visible at every stop, ostensibly capturing moments ripe for sharing on social media, few social media moments found their way into the journalistic narrative of the visit. Presidential candidates were cited in 5% of the stories. Members of Congress were cited in 12% of stories, and another 12% included a quote from President Obama or members of the executive branch. But their statements did not dominate the narrative. In the four-day stretch that included a public event with President Obama, the first ever papal address to a joint meeting of Congress, and remarks that often touched on politically divisive issues, national politicians were a natural part of the story. More than half (56%) of stories produced by these news websites quoted Pope Francis or an official spokesperson 31% quoted a member of the public. news websites, the top sources cited in stories about the historic trip were Pope Francis himself – or an official Vatican spokesperson – followed by the general public. Instead, journalists relied mainly on personal interviews and encounters with the public to help shape their coverage.Īcross 12 heavily visited U.S. But if the public helped tell the story of the visit through their smartphones and social media, that conversation occurred largely outside national media accounts. In covering Pope Francis’ September 2015 visit to the U.S., the news media gave strong voice to the hundreds of thousands attending the events, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of news coverage of the first four days of the visit.
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